Anthony “Tony” LaFetra, president and CEO of Azusa-based Rain Bird Corporation and University of La Verne trustee, died Thursday, Jan. 28, from an undiagnosed cancer at the age of 80, his family said.
LaFetra was a part of the Rain Bird family for more than 50 years. He joined the company in 1964 and during his tenure he served as a plant manager, vice president of sales and marketing, and executive vice president. In 1978, he replaced his mother, Rain Bird’s co-founder Mary E. LaFetra, as president and CEO. He led Rain Bird from a small irrigation company in Glendora into a leading global manufacturer and provider of watering products in more than 130 countries.
“Tony will be missed,” his brother-in-law, Art Ludwick, said in a news release. “He was at Rain Bird for decades and he did his job with distinction. May he rest in peace.”
Beyond leading a company, LaFetra also loved to give back to the community, particularly when it came to supporting education. Since 2012, he served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of La Verne, where his mother had also been a long-time trustee and board chair.
“Tony was an icon at the University of La Verne,” University of La Verne President Devorah Lieberman said Friday in the news release. “His intellect, time, and support helped to transform our university and improved the lives of generations of students. We will miss him terribly.”
In 2016, the LaFetra College of Education at the university was named in his honor after gifting $10 million, the largest cash gift in the university’s 130-year history.
“I know that education transforms lives. My parents, Clem and Mary Elizabeth “Betty” LaFetra, believed strongly in the power of education and in the University of La Verne. My mother served on its Board of Trustees for 16 years,” LaFetra said at the time of the donation. “They imparted their passion for education to me, so I dedicate my gift to their legacy of giving, knowing we can impact generations of future teachers and students.”
In keeping with his philanthropy efforts, he also endowed the La Fetra Family Endowed Chair for Excellence in Teaching and Service, and supported the university’s creation of a new college focused on health and community well-being.
LaFetra is survived by his two children, Suzanne LaFetra Collier and Michael LaFetra, and his sister Sarah Lynne Ludwick, as well as four grandchildren.
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‘Icon’ at University of La Verne, Rain Bird CEO Anthony LaFetra dies at 80 - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
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